The present invention relates to a deflector shield for a wheel of a vehicle, and more particularly, to a crop deflector for a steerable wheel of a self-propelled vehicle which is mounted to a portion of a frame of the vehicle which is shock dampened and yet moves as the wheel is steered.
The plants of row crops branch out, block and fill the space between rows. When a vehicle is used for work on the row-grown crops, such as for cultivating or for spraying the crops, the vehicle runs between the rows and its wheels beat down and crush the portion of the crop extending into the space, thereby causing considerable damage to the crop.
Deflector shields or fenders have been placed around each wheel of vehicles for turning aside fallen or leaning stalks so that they are not run over by the wheels of the vehicle, but are instead, pushed aside and lifted into a substantially vertical position. It is known to attach these deflector shields directly to the axle of the vehicle wheel such that the deflector shield is steerable with the wheel for proper positioning of the deflector shield with respect to the wheel. However, one of the problems associated with this type of steerable crop deflector is that the constant undampened shock loads and vibration of the wheel against the ground surface causes the crop deflector to shake apart and eventually fail.
It is therefore desirable to provide a deflector shield which is steerable with the wheel, yet which moves independent of the wheel so that it is not subject to the constant direct shock loading imparted by the wheel traveling over rough ground.